Focus on victims ‘brings humanity’ to Omagh bomb inquiry – Gallagher
Focus on victims ‘brings humanity’ to Omagh bomb inquiry – Gallagher
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A focus on victims at the public inquiry into the Omagh bombing will “bring humanity” to proceedings, the father of one of the victims has said. Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was killed in the 1998 dissident republican blast in Northern Ireland, said it will be a difficult day.
Bereaved families and survivors have gathered at the Strule Arts Centre in the Co Tyrone town for the inquiry which will examine whether the atrocity could reasonably have been prevented by UK authorities. Scottish judge Lord Turnbull is overseeing the probe into the 1998 Real IRA bombing which claimed 29 lives, including a woman pregnant with twins.
Commemorative and personal statement hearings will be held over the next four weeks. These will begin with bereaved families giving pen portrait evidence of those who died, followed by survivors, emergency services and those working in statutory organisations.
According to the inquiry schedule, Tuesday will hear commemorations of Fernando Blasco Baselga, 12, and Rocio Abad Ramo, 23, two Spanish nationals killed in the bombing. Speaking as he arrived at the Strule Arts Centre on Tuesday morning, Mr Gallagher said the hearings will be difficult for him and the other bereaved relatives.
“It’s important to be here to support the other families, the Spanish families are giving evidence this morning, it’s going to be difficult,” he said. “It brings a lot of it back, but it’s hugely important to focus this week and next week and the week after on the victims. In all of this, sometimes the voice of the victims is lost because there are so many technical arguments, but this brings humanity to it.”.
